Mark-a-Spot
A list of the most important functionalities and characteristics for …
Municipal decision makers/administrators
- open source
- encourages transparency by documenting administrative processes
- image improvement, increase of efficiency due to shortened processes
- versatile capabilities
Visitors
- several ways to view and evaluate information
- participation via comment function and rating options
- search functions
- simple marker-adding via address search or form
- notification about status changes via RSS updates and email
- undo function to cancel unwanted entries
- secure multimedia uploads (file formats: pdf and picture files)
Administrations
- move and displace markers in Google Maps (drag’ndrop)
- status changes and process notes in one screen
- versioning of notes/information (recovery of inputs)
- release or reject comments
Web developer, integrators
- cakePHP and JQuery make it easy to implement
- open standards and interfaces
- scaleable
- accessible, useable under restrictions (switched off Javascript and CSS)
- strict separation of design, content and application logic
- web application as in MVC Pattern
- flexibly expandable (ticket systems, workflows, attachments)
- separated administration surface: category administration,
- rights distribution and user administration
Mark-a-Spot is a web-based tool to manage issues in urban environments, like pot-holes, broken street lighting or lack of accessibility.
Conditions and complaints can be displayed, rated and commented which helps to identify hotspots and helps to economize resources. By using the well known GoogleMaps API, the SeeClickFix/FixMyStreet-like concept can be realised/implemented in individual communities.
Besides its familiar map based interface, Mark-a-Spot also provides the advantage that citizens can track the adjustment process. Simple traffic light colors indicate whether the treatment/work is in progress or completed.
What are the advantages of Mark-a-Spot?
Usually processes and responsibilities within public administrations are intransparent for citizens, just like conventional complaint management. Mark-a-Spot however provides an easy access and transparent dialogues via internet. Automatic email notifications and open standards like RSS simplify processes and encourage transparancy.
Mark-a-Spot can be installed on a webserver or used as a hosted service.
There is a demo in english (the interface only) and german (including content by users). If you are able to read some german, take a look at the website.
Technical Stuff
Mark-a-Spot is based on CakePHP, it’s free and licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License.
The current version is 0.98 and still alpha. It is available at github as
